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Plot Synopsis

The Diclonius, a mutated homo sapien that is said to be selected by God and will eventually become the destruction of mankind, possesses two horns in their heads, and has a "sixth sense" which gives it telekinetic abilities. Due to this dangerous power, they have been captured and isolated in laboratories by the government. Lucy, a young and psychotic Diclonius, manages to break free of her confines and brutally murder most of the guards in the laboratory, only to get shot in the head as she makes her escape. She survives and manages to drift along to a beach, where two teenagers named Kouta and Yuka discovers her. Having lost her memories, she was named after the only thing that she can now say, "Nyuu," and the two allow her to stay at Kouta's home. However, it appears that the evil "Lucy" is not dead just yet...

Story & Characters

This is my first review so I hope you find it helpful. Elfen Lied if one of the better series that I have seen. It folds into its story themes that I have yet to see in a more main stream anime series. I really enjoyed the characters and the mysteries behind each of them. There is also a more then average amount of blood, violence, nudity, and adult themes. The story itself is done quite well, flowing at a good pace and filling the viewer in with flashback senses that make sure you don’t miss a plot twist. Unlike some other series I have seen the direction is excellent but at times the repetition of the same flashbacks seems to bog the story down, this is a minor problem that is remedied by the addition of extended flashback sense as the story progresses. The characters are also a large part of why I liked the series, they seem to be a mix of DUAL and Tenchi but given real problems and taken seriously….sort of. The largest problem I had with the series was that it had a cliffhanger ending, this is because I do not like cliffhanger and so I am bias. I can only assume that it is setting up for the next session and so I am not that displeased by it.

Rating

10 (excellent)

Art

Art is not this series strong point, and with its inventive opening sequences one may think other wise. That is not to say that a pack of monkeys drew it in a day and sent it out. The largest problems I have with the art work of this series is the lack of quality background and the representation of the Vectors (the invisible hand that are use by some of the characters). The characters themselves are done well and in some cases add to the story. All and all the pros of the art out weight the cons, in regards to the art placing the story before the aesthetics.

Rating

8 (good)

Sound

The sound of this Elfen Lied is one of the best I have heard in a long while. I have yet to hear a dubbed version but in the original one can really feel the emotion that is projected in the voices regardless of whether you can understand them or not. The background music is also a pleasure that plays well with the sense that they are in. The opening track is a very enjoyable tune that also plays a part in the story itself. The ending theme does well to ease you out of the episode and back to real life with a more upbeat tone that is not happy but not sad. The sound is overall done well.

Rating

9 (very good)

Presentation

I am conflicted as to whether or not this is an original series, because I have a feeling of déjà vu when watching some episodes. Although there are no tangible examples that I can give, it may seem familiar to some of you as well. That begin said this story itself, its themes, and plot twist are new and fresh and are a joy to watch and follow. There is some humor but I can not really say that it was a big enough part of the series to mention. The show is a joy to watch and it has some replay value. The sorrow and internal conflict that is present in the series may leave you a little down after watching, this is though in my opinion a sign that the series is excellent. The last thing that I would like to add about Elfen lied is that it is a wonderful series that even with only 13 episodes is a well done a very entertaining. As a brief description of the series I think that if you were to combine Noir, Evangelion, and a tiny bit of Tenchi Muyo you would get Elfen Lied. Thank you for reading I hope this helps you, and you find it informative.

Rating

10 (excellent)

Final Verdict

9.50 (excellent)

Reviewed by cokedupmonkey1, 3y 35wk ago